A time base corrector [TBC] unit is a video processing device. It is a unit which can be built into a video tape recorder or can be used separately with such recorder. When video tapes are edited, the tapes must be played. Each time a tape is played on a video tape recorder, it is necessary to adjust several parameters of the associated TBC, such as video gain, chroma gain, setup and hue, so that the values of these parameters used in playing the tape the first time will be unaltered when the tape is played again. If the values are changed, the tape cannot be properly edited.
All TBC units are nominally identical. However, because of manufacturing tolerances and the like, no two units have identical electrical characteristics so that parameter settings used for play of one tape on one unit will differ from the settings needed to play the same tape on another unit in such manner that the tape can be properly edited.
The present invention is directed toward both a new and improved method and a new and improved apparatus for enabling a tape to be played for editing on any one of a plurality of TBC units without changing parameter settings each time this tape or any other tape is to be so played.